It's not too late, it's never too late
by Apex Soldier
Summary: In the Kingdom of Konoha, Hinata was taken from Naruto when they found out she is the Heir to the kingdom. Unable to be with her anymore, Naruto does the only thing he could to be with her again... become her knight. Rated T for now... Naruhina and more.
1. The Era of Clerical Hostilities

**Hey, just got bored and found this story I wrote oh so long ago... Thought I should publish it and see how it goes... **

**Yeah, I know the title is the title to Three Days Grace's song "Not too late" I did that on purpose... Read the summary and it'll probably click in your mind if not, just ask...  
**

**Summary: In the Kingdom of Konoha, Hinata was taken from Naruto when they found out she is the Heir to the kingdom. Unable to be with her anymore, Naruto does the only thing he could to be with her again... become her knight. But first, he must go on a trip to prove that he could be a knight,**** though he is not alone. A mysterious little girl shows up and accompanies him.**

**What will arise from the trip? What new enemies, new allies will appear? ****And what of Hinata? What is she doing and has her new life changed her?**** Read to find out...  
**

******I want to note that this is in the time with Knights**, kings, queens, demons and the like. There will also be some similarities between Naruto's attacks and Inuyasha's, just to let you know...  


**Chapter 1: The Era of Clerical Hostilities...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the attacks he has in this story...  
**

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"Lady Hinata, please step away from _him."_ The knight in gold said venom evident in his voice. "We need to take you back to the castle." Thirteen year old Hinata stood behind a very angry fourteen year old Naruto.

"No chance, you're going to have to go through me first." The golden knight who spoke earlier smirked at his challenge.

"As you wish." The man took out a dog whistle and blew it as hard as he could. Naruto stood his ground, wincing once or twice. When the knight stopped, he saw that Naruto was still up. "Why do you not kneel before me? This whistle should have left you whimpering and begging for mercy." Naruto laughed and the knight in gold got angry. "Why do you laugh half-breed?"

"Because you have no idea what today… I'm sorry, what tonight is."

"What are you talkin-?" The knight first realized that it was in fact night. Also, that Naruto's usual long claws and fang hair were now normal, and his fox ears where gone and replaced with human ears. He looked completely human.

"I see. I forgot that tonight was the night of the new moon. No matter, this is just another inconvenience. If truth be told, this will be easier than dealing with your less favorable side." Naruto got into a fighting stance when he saw the golden knight move closer to them. The golden knight stopped and pulled out his sword.

"Why do you insist on making harder? It's not like she's going to jail. On the contrary, she's actually going to the castle to receive her crown. You see, Lady Hinata is the heir to her father's crown." He fought back a smirk threatening to appear on his lips when he saw Naruto's face.

"It seems that she was kidnapped when she was much younger and I fought valiantly to save her when I just started being a knight. She must have scampered off to your place during the fight. Now that we've discovered her, she has to return to the castle to rule over this kingdom. Now if you please…"

"Didn't you hear me before? I said no chance! I don't care if she's the heir to The Kingdom of the Konoha or a lowly peasant. She's staying here with me!" Hinata beamed at Naruto's words. The golden knight saw her and grinned at a sudden idea.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know she was your vixen half-breed." Naruto's face hit the floor. **[Anime-style] **

"T-That's not how it is." Hinata said as Naruto got up from his face-vault. The golden knight saw an opening and punched Naruto in the mid section. knocking him off his feet. Naruto went flying until he hit the cement wall that was behind him. He coughed up a little blood before he fell to the floor, semi-conscious. "Naruto-kun!" Hinata was then grabbed by the golden knight and taken to the castle. She was screaming "Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun get up, please!" repeatedly.

"Hinata...chan, wait, come... back." Naruto let his head fall to the ground and felt his eyes slowly closing, getting one last glimpse of Hinata being carried away.

[*.*.*.*]

Naruto gasped and sat up as he woke up again. Realizing that he had been dreaming about the night again, he growled in anger. He punched the wall nearest him and watched as it crumbled under his force. He then grabbed his spiky blond hair and avoided his orange fox ears.

_'Why do I continue having the same dream every night?'_ For the last two years, he's been having the same nightmare, replaying over and over again in his head. Two years have passed since Naruto last talked to Hinata. He still sees her, just from about 400 yards away. Whenever he got too close, her knights would always make an excuse to get her away from the area.

Naruto got out of his bed and went to walk around the forest where his home was in. He grabbed his dark orange cloak and put it on, also putting the hood over his head. He stepped out and started to walk as he was soon preoccupied by his thoughts.

_'Damn those knights. There always in the way. If I could somehow figure out a way to get rid of them so I can talk to Hinata, I can tell her how much I've missed her.'_ During the two years Hinata's been gone, Naruto has had a lot of time to realize and learn some things.

One of those things is that his claws are a deadly weapon. When he gets blood on his claws, he can fling it at his opponents, creating crimson blades of energy. Also, if he focuses his demonic energy into his claws, he could release his demon energy to slice through almost anything. The first attack he calls **Blades of Blood**, and the second one he calls **Slicing Inhumation**.

And the other thing he realized is that he is in love with Hinata. After a year of complaining to Gamakichi, a toad who said that his father knew Naruto's father but wouldn't tell him anything because of some oath, he snapped and asked him why he missed her so much. Naruto couldn't seem to find out why so Gamakichi asked him if he loved her. After an awkward moment or two, he discovered that he did love her; it just took him about fifteen years to figure it out.

"Why are those knights so annoying!? Do they ever leave Hinata alone? If I was a knight I'd…" Naruto just got an idea. "If I could become a knight, I could be still be with Hinata! Genius." He thought aloud, unknown to him there was someone watching, listening.

Naruto thought he heard something but didn't see anything there. Being happy with his plan, Naruto felt merciful and just shrugged it off. He broke into a run and headed off to the castle until he had another thought.

"Wait, they already know I'm a half demon, they'd never let me be a knight." He got depressed and turned into the direction of the cottage house he lived. He heard something moving and, getting his normal sour mood back, faced the direction of the sound and prepared to perform** Slicing Inhumation**.

"Come out, I already know someone's there! Face me coward." Someone in a large dark purple cloak with its hood over its face appeared. "Who are you and what do you want from me?" The figure removed the hood and a young looking woman stared passively at Naruto. Naruto couldn't believe his eyes.

"H-Hinata? Is that you?"A small smile appeared on the girl's face.

**

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**Oh, suspenseful, wonder if it is Hinata or maybe he's just seeing things... maybe both, review to see what happens next... I promise the next chapter will be a lot more interesting to say the least...  
**

**With enough reviews, I'll update soon and you'll see who the mysterious person is... I usually don't put pressure for reviews but I don't care at the moment if you hate my guts for making you review just to make me update... I don't have much to lose...**

**Sorry if I sound like an a*s but again, this is a side project so whether it is popular or not is not a major thing to me...**

**With that said, please review and let me know how you like that story...**

**Next Chapter: The Journey begins!  
**


	2. The Journey begins

**Generosity is an amazing thing, mostly because it can make me post up a new chapter a day after this came out...**

**Well whatever, I really can careless if it's popular or not, I'm just doing this so you guys have something to read, even if it's not as great as others...**

**Notes: Uhm, there will be some parts that might seem that they were taken from Inuyasha... Again I refer you to something I started to say at the end of my chapters... *ahem* and it goes: if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: deal with it, get over it or choke on it!**

**I stand by what I say and hope you do too =]...**

**IMPORTANT: Hanabi is the same age as Naruto, Hinata and everyone from the rookie nine [just a bit of a heads up...]**

**Oh and Thanks to all that reviewed [*cough* even if it was only three *cough-cough*] It's nice to know that you like this story!**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: The Journey begins!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the small things that are from Inuyasha...**

* * *

Naruto saw that the women had a small tattoo that looked like words forming a circle and a small dot in the center of the circle on the left side of her neck. Her long dark, brown hair blew past her shoulder and into the air as a silent wind blew by.

"Don't make me laugh. I might look like that troublesome woman, but I certainly am not her."

"So who are you then?"

"I am the great sorceress Hanabi." Naruto flinched when she said sorceress, but soon got angry again.

"So, the kingdom has sent another sorcerer/sorceress to exterminate me. Ha-ha sorry to break it to you, but I'm no ordinary demon." Naruto went into a battle stance and prepared himself for anything. The sorceress noticed the necklace he wore and smirked.

"Who gave you that necklace?" Naruto got out of his stance.

_'Where did I get this from?' _He thought.

"Some old hag made me wear it one day when I was out in town." Her smirk grew wider.

"Sit." Naruto's face slammed itself into the ground. A moment later, he got up, angrier than before.

"What the hell?"

"I made that necklace you wear around your neck. With a simple command, I could make you do as I please, within reason." Naruto didn't like the sound of that.

"Like?"

"Jump." He jumped. "Hunt." Naruto went into the woods and came back with a rabbit in his mouth. "Release." The rabbit in his mouth ran as fast as its little legs would take him when Naruto opened his mouth. "Rollover." And he did as she said again. Though this time, it earned a laugh from Hanabi. "As you can see, I have somewhat control over you."

"Somewhat? You had me do everything you commanded. How is that somewhat?"

"You can only do what you're physically and/or mentally able to do. If one of my commands demands more than what you're capable of doing, then you will not do it. Also, as I'm sure you didn't notice, my commands were only one worded. I can use more than one word but the more words I use, the weaker the command is. Basically, you can fight it more when the command is more than one word."

"Really?"

"Love." Naruto just looked at her, not doing anything. Then a mental picture of Hinata appeared in his head.

"Nothing happened."

"I can see that you didn't do anything, but what did you do that one cannot see?" Naruto thought about it and was shocked.

"You made me see the one I love. Incredible." She moved closer to him and he tensed a bit.

"Love me." He looked at her. Nothing, physically or mentally, happened. She smiled. "You see, you are not mentally or physically able to love me. You're emotions are something I have no control over." She kept on moving closer to him until he could feel her breath on his lips. "You're actions, however, are another story."

"What do you…"

"Kiss me." Before he could think about what she said, he kissed her. Though he could feel the command was weaker than the others and was able to move away from her. "The command was weaker wasn't it?" Hanabi asked with a victorious smile.

"Yes, but don't do it again."

"Do what?"

"Don't kiss me!"

"But I didn't kiss you, you kissed me."

"You know what I mean! Don't make me kiss you." A playful smirk appeared on Hanabi's lips.

"Is that a threat?" He blushed a little but it was still enough for her see it. She laughed.

"What the hell do you want from me?" He said dangerously low. She heard him get serious and decided to get serious too.

"I want to help you."

"What? Why?"

"I want to help you become a knight so you will be able to take Lady Hinata away."

"And what would you get out of this?"

"That is none of your concern. Now, do you want my help or not?"

"It depends, what kind of help are you giving me?"

"I can help you appear human." Naruto's eyes widened. "But there is something you must do first."

"And what is that?" Even though that was a tempting offer, he still didn't trust her. Not yet anyways.

"You first have to go on a trip, a journey if you will." Naruto raised an eye-brow.

"What do I have to do while on this trip."

"You must do whatever you feel you must do to get stronger, faster and even smarter, if you want."

"Hey, I'm not stupid." She ignored his comment and his wildly moving arms.

"You will return when you feel that you're strong enough."

"When will I know when I'm strong enough to return?"

"Oh you'll know. Remember, you're doing this for Lady Hinata."

"Right, for Hinata. So when do I leave?" She shook her head. She couldn't believe he could be so stupid.

"You ask too many questions. Leave when you want, I could careless the day you leave. The day you return stronger, that's what I care about." She disappeared as she spoke her final words. "Train hard Naruto, you'll need to for what lies ahead."

Naruto thought of the words Hanabi spoke as he sat on a stump out side his home.

_'Should I do this? Can I do this?'_ Then he thought about Hinata. _'I will do this, for Hinata.'_ He got up and left to start his journey. Being the outcast half-demon he had no prized possessions, so he left without getting anything.

A month into his journey, he realized that the only real way to get stronger and faster was to fight and slay demons. After killing a demon-cat, he was visited by his brother. His brother, Sasuke, was very passive during the entire reunion. He didn't say much, all he did was stare at Naruto.

"What teme?" Sasuke still didn't answer back, he just kept looking at him. Naruto noticed that Sasuke was touching the hilt of his sword but not much more than that. Seeing this as a waste of time and nothing was going to happen, Naruto continued his journey.

"Stupid teme." He said under his breath.

When he reached a river to rest up, he saw something shining in the river. He went in to see what it was. It was a sword. He lifted it up to get a better look. He saw that the blade was rusty and busted, almost like its owner was trying to cut rocks with it. Naruto was about to throw it back into the water when a demon raccoon charged him. Quick on his feet, Naruto dodged the demons charge and it fell into the river. It jumped out the water and readied his next attack. Naruto, deciding to see if the sword was as useless as it looked, attacked the demon with it. The demon swiped his claw at Naruto. Naruto jumped and it missed, giving him an opening. He swung the sword at the demon's chest. It seemed like it hurt, but the demon only laughed.

"Do you expect to hurt me with this? Pathetic." Naruto growled but knew it was right. The sword was useless. Seeing that Naruto was momentarily distracted, the demon spun on his feet and swiped his tail at him. Unable to react quickly enough, Naruto was hit and flew back until he hit a tree. He lay motionless against the tree while the demon raccoon moved in for the kill.

"It seems as though I have found my lunch." Naruto looked up at the demon but couldn't move. His whole body was sore and in pain from that one swing. Unwilling to die just yet, he got up steadily with the help of the sword. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a little girl appeared and stood between Naruto and the demon.

"I won't let you hurt him anymore." she said, both Naruto and the demon were shocked to see the girl standing in between them, trying to stop the fight. She wore a traditional red kimono with a black obi. She has deep-set amber eyes that are like two bright flames. Her thick, straight silver hair was worn in a style that reminds you of a comet's trail. But what stood out the most were her ears.

_ 'There fox ears!' _Naruto thought. The demon laughed at both of them.

"Are you really going to let a little fox girl fight your battles for you?"

"Stay back, I don't know why you want to help me, but I can't let you get hurt because of me." Naruto got up and moved slowly in front of the girl.

"But you're still weak."

"Just stand back and watch me kill this pest." The demon grew tired of waiting and attacked. He flung his paw at Naruto again. The little dog girl pushed Naruto out of the way and took the hit for him. Naruto couldn't believe she just did that and saw her hit the ground, followed with a sickening thud. Naruto got angry. "How dare you hit an innocent little girl!"

"Who cares? She's only a half-breed. If anything, I did the world a favor."

"I don't care if she was a lowly human or a demon. That's still not right!"

"Who cares what you think. You're just a half-breed too." Naruto's anger drove him to attack the demon blindly. He swung his sword at the leg the demon used to attack the girl. The demon didn't even try to dodge the attack which got Naruto even angrier. He flung the sword as hard as he could. A moment later, the demon's leg fell to the ground. The beast cried out in pain.

Naruto didn't think his attack would actually work, though the sword did feel heavier. He looked down at his sword and saw that it had changed. It was about ten times bigger than before and a whole lot sharper. The hilt was also wrapped in a sort of cotton and looked new. Satisfied with its new appearance, he attacked the demon again but stopped when he sensed a rift between his and the demon's demonic energy. Seeing as he had nothing to lose, he swings his sword at the rift and a huge red energy beam came out of his sword. The demon didn't see the attack until it was too late, he was obliterated in seconds.

The enemy defeated, Naruto walked over to the young fox girl to see if she was alive. He saw that she was still breathing and let out a sigh of relief. He picked her up and started walking into the woods. He set up a mini camp and let the girl rest while he watched over her. Naruto didn't know why, but he felt like he ought to protect the girl. The girl awoke afraid and confused.

"Where am I?"

"You're resting so you could go back home and I am here babysitting you." She turned to see who said that and saw that it was a half demon just like her. He had a dark orange cloak over him but she could see that he wore a black shirt and orange pants. She smiled at him and relaxed.

"Oh, it's you. The half demon from before, right?"

"Yeah, that's me. What were you thinking? You could've been killed by the demon!"

She laughed a sad laugh. "You sound just like my father, you also look like him too. You remind me so much of him that I had mistaken you for him. I'm sorry if I have caused you trouble." the girl said sadly.

"Hey, hey, don't get sad on me. I'm sorry if I seemed a little mad but it's ok, really." Naruto knew that if a girl got sad, she would eventually cry.

_'Well Hinata did it all the time so I guess this girl would too.'_ The girl looked up at Naruto and smiled.

"By the way, who are you?" Her smile went away and she looked in another direction. "Hmm?"

"I don't know much. All I know is that my name is Iva and I am a half demon. My father was a very powerful demon who controlled the western lands. From what my cousin told me, he fell in love with a woman by the name of Hoshiko, my mother. I'm not sure what happened exactly but they both died. That's as far as I know. My cousin told me he found me in the middle of a clearing. And when I woke up, he told me to look for someone. Though that was two years ago."

"Do you remember his name?" She shook her head.

"No… Wait, he said to look for someone by the name of Naruto." He gasped and his eyes widened when she told him that.

_'ME? She was told to look for me? But why would…'_

"Who's your cousin?"

"Huh? Oh, well… I don't know…" He sweat dropped, not believing what he had just heard. "All I know is that he had eyes, hair, ears and claws like you and me. Now that I think about it, I do think it's weird that he didn't mention his name to me. Oh well, it can't be helped."

Naruto sighed. "Well what did he tell you to do once you found Naruto?"

"Hmm…"

"..."

"......"

".........."

"...I forgot." Naruto face-fell to the floor while Iva laughed sheepishly. "I never did pay much attention since I was still healing from my injuries."

"What happened?"

"That's another thing I don't remember." Naruto decided to let it go since he figured that she wouldn't remember anything else. He got up and started walking through the forest known as The Forest of Lost Souls. Iva got up and followed after Naruto. Naruto stopped and turned to face her.

"What?"

"What What?" She smiled innocently.

"What do you want?"

"I want to go with you." She smiled while putting her hands behind her back, making him think that she's trying to soften him up.

"Sorry, no brats allowed." Her smile was replaced with a frown. Iva jumped on Naruto and looked at him straight in the eyes. Naruto saw a glaring light blue aura with white, glowing orbs go around her eyes. Then some of the aura started moving to her back, taking the form of what looked like a pair angel wings_.  
_

_'This aura is too pure to be demonic. Her father might have been a demon, but her mother had to be something else, something beyond human. That's the only explanation.'_

"But I want to come with you." Iva's voice sounded dangerous, unstable and sad. Naruto knew he could probably handle her if she lost control. But if he could avoid any conflicts, that would be better, even if he had to deal with a little girl. He sighed as Iva's aura started to get denser.

"Fine, but just be careful and try not to get in the way. I have to complete something and I won't let you slow me down, is that clear?" Iva's aura disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and she nodded her head.

"No problem… uhm... uhm…"

"What's wrong now?"

"I don't know your name." Naruto froze up and panicked.

_'What should I say? What if her cousin told her to kill me?' _After a moment or two, he decided he would tell her.

"The names Naruto." She gasped and stepped back.

"You're Naruto?" He nodded and looked at her. In a flash, she had Naruto in a headlock, not letting any oxygen get in his body. He was about to shove her off when he heard her say, "I did it! I found Naruto… Now what?" With the little breathe he had, he answered her.

"How… about… letting… me… go?" She laughed sheepishly.

"Right…" She let him go and he gasped for air that was deprived from him about a minute ago.

_'Damn, she's strong.'_

"So… where are we going?" She held her hands together on her back while she gave him an innocent look. One word passed through Naruto's head.

_'Troublesome.'_

"Well, since you're going to follow me around, we're going to roam these lands so I can get stronger." She looked at him with a calculating stare.

"Is it because you're weak? You look a bit wimpy." She laughed after seeing his reaction. Naruto had a vein popping out of his head and was trying to control his anger. Sadly, he failed.

"What did you say?! Didn't I save both our butts from that stupid demon raccoon and you call me weak?" Iva's laughter died down and she tried to calm Naruto down.

"Don't worry, I was only kidding. Sheesh, you need to take that stick out of your ass." Naruto was about to explode. "I don't know what that means. I heard two adults fighting one day, they said a whole lot of things. Personally, I don't think it would be comfortable having a stick… uhm… what's an ass?" Naruto covered her mouth and softly hit her on the head. "Why'd you do that?"

"Little girls shouldn't say things like that. It's not polite and people don't like to hear that." She looked down and sighed.

"I'm sorry; it's just… no one's ever taught me anything. When I passed around some villages and kingdoms, people gave me stares and mostly said mean things to me. The only person who's ever been nice to me is you. My cousin might not have been mean, but he wasn't nice either. He was very passive and strict for the little time I spent with him." Naruto bent down so that he was at eye level with Iva. He gave her a warm smile before speaking.

"It's ok now Iva. Now you got me and you're not going to get ride of me that easily." She let a few tears escaped and hugged Naruto as hard as she could. This in fact was pretty hard. "Oh, I forgot to ask but how old are you?" She let him go and rubbed her eyes. Naruto found this adorable. It was almost like a two year old woke up from a nap.

"I'm eleven, so 110 in demon years. I think that's how it works…"

"Whoa, you look at least seven or so…" She smiled proudly and Naruto couldn't help but laugh. "You know, you might make things a little more interesting. Let's go, I don't have much time to waste." He started walking, expecting to see Iva walk right beside him, but instead, he felt her climb his back. He looked back and saw a still smiling Iva. "What…"

"I'm too tired to walk, carry me?" Naruto was about to argue, but didn't because he figured she would complain and probably end up winning. He sighed at this realization.

"Fine, but don't make a habit out of this." She nodded and started yawning.

"Thank you for carrying me, big brother." Were her finally words before falling asleep. Naruto at first was confused by her words but then accepted them and continued walking.

"Big brother huh? Sounds good to me…"

* * *

**Very touching in my eyes, nice!**

**So yeah, I think this one's a bit more interesting than the first chapter... Though that's just my opinion...**

**Anyways, I need to know something: **

**Should I just skip Naruto's and Iva's trip and get right to where they go back to Konoha or should I write the first half of the training and then skip ahead or just write the whole damn thing? **

**Hinata probably won't have a lot of screen time if I write the whole damn thing... just something to think about =]...**

**Next chapter: Over the last two years...**

**Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: deal with it, get over it or choke on it!**


	3. Over the last two years

**Not much to say right now so here's chapter 3 just cuz I felt like it...**

**Chapter 3: Over the last two years... [A/N: Title meant for Hinata...]**

**Disclamier: I don't own Naruto or Inuyasha!  
**

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A young woman with long blue hair walked through the many hall ways of the castle she was currently residing in. And she hated it. It was nice and well taken care of but that did nothing for her. She missed the life she used to have before she was discovered as the heir.

Hinata blew pass many paintings of long since dead relatives and expensive vases and other types of pottery. She hurried to her room, to lock herself from the boring existence she called a life. Without looking where she was going, she bumped into a maid that worked in the castle.

"Watch where you walk." Hinata snapped but didn't stop walking, she didn't even look to see if the girl was ok. Normally, Hinata would've stopped, helped the poor maid up and asked for her forgiveness. Now though she was peeved and really didn't want to talk with anyone, and that meant everyone.

The maid picked herself up and dusted the dirt off her uniform. She picked up the laundry she dropped and then looked up at Hinata's retreating form.

"Hinata..." The maid said before turning around, her pink hair swinging to the side and walked off to finish her duties.

Hinata opened the door to her luxurious room and slammed it shut, locking it in the process. She turned around and leaned against the door. She slid down with a sigh and hugged her knees.

Hinata wanted to cry; that was the only way she knew how to release her anguish and sorrow. She missed Naruto; she need him and he wasn't around. She hated her knights, resented them for driving her away before being able to talk to Naruto.

There was numerous times when she had seem him in the crowd when making appearances and ever time he came within a hundred feet of her, her knights would escort her back to the castle and telling the audience that a situation had occurred that needed her immediate attention. She remembered seeing the sadness and longing in Naruto's eyes when she was within the wall of the estate.

She slammed her soft hands against the door, trying to cry but to no avail; her tears dried long ago. She slammed her hand against the door a couple more times until she felt her hands go numb.

Hinata let them fall to her side, exhausted from the constant pounding and events that she attended. She stood and walked to the base of her window. She opened the window and looked out to the sky. It's blue complexion didn't even hold a candle to Naruto's deep blue eyes. The sun's bright rays shined down on her pale skin but she still felt cold, a coldness that never went away, no matter what she's tried.

She sighed and watched her cousin, Neji, practice his stances and katas. He was one of the few people that lived in the castle that actually understood her. She was grateful that she had an amazing cousin to keep her company and keep her sanity in check. If it wasn't for him, who knows how she would be right now.

Naruto would keep her company and always keep her on her toes so she always had something to do but it would always be entertaining and enjoyable to be with Naruto; no matter the hassle. A mirthful smile appeared on Hinata's lips, a precious memory playing in her mind.

_"Hinata-chan, I don't see why do I have to do this?" Naruto whined. Hinata giggled and led him through the small cottage home they shared._

_"That because there's dirt covering your eyes." Hinata led Naruto to the bathroom and prepared the bath. Naruto flinched at the sound of water swooshing and hurriedly went for the door. "Stop!" Unknown to both of them, the necklace Naruto was given shined a dull light and Naruto stopped in his tracks._

_Hinata stood, followed after him and grabbed Naruto's hand, careful not to get herself dirty. Naruto hung his head in defeat as he was led back to the bathroom. She pulled him up to the tub, making his back face the tub. _

_"Listen Naruto-kun, I know you hate taking baths, even though I don't why. But please do it, you really do smell." Hinata said but Naruto crossed his amrs over his chest and looked away. Hinata placed her hands on her hips and was about to shove him in but an idea suddenly came to mind._

_"Please Naruto-kun, for me?" She pleaded, batting her eyes. Naruto looked down and blushed. When he didn't respond, Hinata gently shoved Naruto, making him fall back into the water. She giggled and closed the door on her way out. "Get clean Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted from behind the door. She laughed when she heard him groan and grumble under his breath._

A small tear slowly fell down her cold cheek. Hinata hesitantly reached up to the tear and wiped it away.

"It seems I still have tears to shed." She said quietly to herself. Sadness had over whelmed her and she didn't even notice the light knocking on her door. The knocking became a lot louder, snapping her out of her thoughts. She stood and walked over to the door. She put her hand over the doorknob but didn't open it yet.

"Who is it?" Hinata asked. Behind the door, she could hear a quick sigh before the person spoke up.

"It's me Lady Hinata, may I enter?" Hinata knew who's voice that was and opened the door, seeing a brown haired girl on the other side of the door. "Lady Hinata, Lord Hiashi wishes to speak with you." Hinata nodded in understanding.

"I see, thank you Tenten." Tenten nodded and scampered off to continue her duties. Before she could leave though, she noticed the solemn expression on Hinata's face.

"Lady Hinata, I know it is not my place to say but is there something troubling you?" She asked. Hinata quickly covered her sadness with her stoic expression she was taught to have.

"What makes you say that?" Hinata question.

"Nothing my lady. For a second, I mistaken your expression for another. Please forgive me but please know my door is always open and my ears are always here to listen in case you may have something bothering you." Tenten immediately left, her courage leaving her half way through her speech. Hinata watched as Tenten quickly left her presence.

Hinata then went off to see what her father wanted of her.

[*.*.*.*]

Naruto sneezed and suddenly lost his balance off the branch he was sitting on. He moved his body and arms to keep the balance but it would prove useless as he was sent crashing down. His eyes were dazed as he looked up at an unfocused sky. An object with a silver lining came into view, making Naruto snap out of it. When his vision became unblurred, he saw a smiling Iva looking back at him.

"Um, what are you looking at?" He asked. Iva closed her eyes as he smile widened.

"I saw that."

"I was afraid of that." Naruto said with a sigh. He rolled back, letting his feet hang in the air before jumping forward in a hand spring, landing on his feet. He dusted himself off.

"So, how'd it go?" Naruto asked. Iva chuckled proudly.

"I got it!" Naruto looked at her with wide eyes.

"You're joking."

"I never joke about this." She retorted as she pulled out a bag with four apples and seven oranges. Naruto looked at the fruit incredulous.

"How...?"

"This man left a whole lot of it outside a store on top of a cart. I thought he just didn't want them so I took some." She smiled at the end, clearly proud. Naruto sweat dropped and slapped the front of his face with the palm of his hand.

"Did the cart holding the fruit have a sign with numbers and letters?" Iva rubbed an apple with her shirt and took a big bite out of it.

"ow yo kno?" She said with her mouth full.

"Lucky guess. Just don't do that again." Naruto told her, taking an orange from the bag she was carrying. With his claws, he made short work of the orange's skin. He threw the skin in a random direction and sunk his fangs into the orange. He knew Iva couldn't read seeing as she was a half demon which meant that she wasn't allowed in school or anything. Naruto was lucky enough to have Hinata by his side to teach him to read and write. Sloppily he might add but nevertheless it was still something.

The sudden thought of Hinata sadden Naruto a little, his mood showing as his ears dropped a little.

"Why?" Iva asked, taking smaller bites, savoring the apple's flavors. She snapped Naruto from his thoughts, trying to remember what they were talking about.

"Because it's called stealing and it's frowned upon by society. The only time I want you steal is only when it's necessary. Other than that, no stealing." Naruto said, ending his lecture with a gentle flick of her nose. Iva scrunched her nose and glared at Naruto. Naruto finished his orange and wiped his hands with the inside of his cloak. He then headed for the tree he fell from and grabbed his sword. He placed it securely on the black obi he wore. He got it after Iva suggested it, so he wouldn't have to carry his sword all the time.

"So, did you decide what you're going to name it?" Iva asked. She finished the small remains of her apple and threw the core away in some random direction.

"Name? It's just a sword, it doesn't need a name." Naruto felt a pulse come from the sword and looked down a it.

"A sword may be made from inanimate objects but that doesn't mean it doesn't have life." A voice said behind Naruto. Naruto turned around and saw a wrinkly old man riding on top of a big eyed black bull.

"Who are you and what the hell do you mean by that, that's ridiculous" Naruto said, getting in front of Iva. The old man looked harmless, except for the big sledge hammer he carried with him. Still, Naruto wasn't willing to take the chance. Naruto felt a second, stronger pulse come from his sword.

"It seems you keep ignoring your Tessaiga's pulses, not really a good idea on your part." Naruto growled at the old man.

"Shut up, and what's the deal with you naming my sword? That's kind of creepy."

"I have to agree with my nii-san on that one old man." A small vein popped the old man's head.

"I'm not that old!" The old man shouted.

"Say that to the wrinkles old man." Iva said with a chuckle. A smile appeared on Naruto's face, trying to resist the urge to laugh out loud. [LOL!]

"Just shut up with that. My name is Totosai and I created that sword you hold in your possession, whippersnapper." Naruto barely contained his chuckled.

"See, that is such an old person thing to say." Iva said, angering Totosai.

"Anyways, you're crazy old man. I found this sword abandoned by a river about a days walk from here." Naruto told, after which Totosai slammed his hammer on Naruto's head.

"I said stop calling me that!" Totosai yelled. Naruto rubbed the spot Totosai hit after Totosai lifted it up a bit. Totosai raised his hammer to get it back but Naruto grabbed it, stopping it from going any further.

"That wasn't really a good idea." Iva said, taking a step back from Naruto. Naruto's vibrant blue eyes changed to a blood red and his hold on the hammer tightened. Naruto smirked, showing off his canine teeth, when he heard a cracking sound come from his grip on the hammer.

In a blink of an eye, Naruto got a nasty head butt from Totosai's bull, making him release the hammer and send him flying back. Naruto willed his body to stand up from that devastating blow.

"Senile old man." Naruto muttered. Totosai sucked in a deep breath and blew some fire in Naruto's direction. Naruto only had a short time to react and jumped high into the air. Totosai took the opportunity and blew some more fire at a defenseless Naruto. Naruto couldn't be seen as the fire covered him.

Totosai looked at the little girl, expecting her to be worried but saw that she kept looking at the sky with a knowing smile on her face. Totosai looked up again and saw a large blade split his fire in half, giving Naruto enough room to pass by unharmed.

With determination sparking in his eye, Naruto spun around and positioned the Tessaiga to cut down the old man and his bull. Totosai made his bull move back, making Naruto miss.

The blade of his sword sunk deeply into the ground. Totosai smiled victoriously but it disappeared when he saw Naruto's nails light up with a light red demonic energy.

"**Slicing Inhumation!**" Naruto yelled, releasing the demonic energy compressed in his hands, making light red blades of energy head for Totosai. It impacted on the ground, making dust rise up and form a cloud of dust. Naruto smiled, thinking he had hurt the old man.

"It seems you are not as weak as I thought. You really exceeded my expectations." Naruto spun on his heel and saw Totosai, unharmed and smiling. The smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown. "But you'll need to be better. As strong as you are, you're still weak compared to the many demons that roam this Earth."Totosai explained.

"Hn, like I care, I can kill any demon I come across." Naruto told him, puffing his chest out and pointing a thumb to himself. Iva smiled at her older brother's confidence and bluntness.

"I see, what about your older brother?" Naruto's stance wavered. He hated his older brother, Sasuke. Only because his father was a full demon didn't mean he was better, the fact that he could beat Naruto was though.

"Tch, he's nothing, I can take him down as well."

"Is that so little brother?" Naruto turned around to see Sasuke with his passive expression. He had an open white shirt and a black hakama. His sword remained secure by his black obi.

"Sasuke." Naruto hissed. Sasuke looked at him with indifference and then at Iva, who had an incredulous expression.

"So I see you have found Naruto little Iva." Naruto's eye widened and then looked at Iva. "I thought you died long ago. I find it hard to believe that you actually found him but it seems that you have." Sasuke then looked at Naruto.

"So what's this about killing me Naruto?" Naruto clenched his teth together.

"Like I said, I can take you down if I wanted to." Sasuke's eyes narrowed a bit and then he disappeared. Without even seeing what caused it, Naruto got a sudden cut on his entire left arm.

Another cut appeared across his chest and then one more cut above and below his left eye. Sasuke then appeared by Totosai's side, sheathing the sword he had. When his sword made a clinking sound, Naruto's blood burst out of the cuts Sasuke made and fell to the ground, barely conscious.

"Nii-san!" Iva screamed as she rushed to Naruto's side. He coughed up some blood as he looked up, right at Sasuke who had his back turned.

"Pathetic, and I actually thought you'd put up a fight. You're no different than the other worthless demons." Sasuke walked away, not looking back, not regretting what he did. Totosai watched him leave and then back at Naruto.

"T-Teme." Naruto grumbled, sitting up, disregarding the pain he felt.

"Nii-san, don't get up, you'll only lose more blood." Iva told him, trying to persuade him to lay back down. He just grunted and spit out more before he gave her a weary smile and pointed to himself.

"I'll be fine, after all, I am Naruto, greatest half demon you'll ever meet, believe it!" He said before his eyes slowly closed and he fell back onto the ground, unconscious. Iva panicked and went to the pack she 'got' from town. It had some bandages for the cuts Naruto had.

Totosai walked up to Naruto with his black bull. He looked down at Naruto and reached for the Tessaiga. He was about to get it but he stopped himself. He rethought about the whole thing and decided to let Naruto keep it. It amazed Totosai that Naruto was still alive.

_'Normally, that kind of combo from Sasuke would've left any other demon or person dead. Either he truly is a unique hanyou or Sasuke's getting soft.'_ Iva came back and started wrapping Naruto's wounds in bandages, worried sick about her older brother.

[*.*.*.*]

Naruto felt something wet fall on his nose. He felt another and scrunched his nose. He grunted and slowly opened his eyes and saw the ceiling of a cave. He painfully turned his head to the left and saw that it was night and raining. He sat up and supported himself with his good arm while his left arm was being held by a sling. He looked all over his body and saw bandages wrapped over his torso and left arm. He also noticed that he couldn't see out of his left eye.

He raised his right hand over his left eye and felt a bandaged over it. He let out a sigh of relief and gratitude. Naruto then moved his left arm and felt a small amount of pain but that didn't matter. He took his arm off the sling that held it and stood up, with the help of a wall of course. He looked around and saw a shivering Iva sleeping near a fire to keep her warm. Naruto looked back to where he was once laying and saw that Iva covered him with his slightly tore up cloak.

Naruto grabbed the cloak and limply made his way to Iva. He put the cloak over her and saw that her shivering had reduced. He smiled and then heard some movement coming from inside the cave. He slowly made his way to the back of the cave and saw Totosai leaning on a his sleeping bull while a second fire kept him warm.

Totosai had been thinking about whether or not he should tell Naruto something but was interrupted when he saw Naruto limping to him.

"I see you're alive and well. That's good... for the little girl anyways." He commented. Naruto sat across from him and watched the fire intensely. Totosai raised an eyebrow at this.

"You said I need to get stronger right? Well tell me how to do that." Naruto said, not looking away from the fire.

"Why do you wish to get stronger? What reason could you possibly have to get stronger?" Totosai asked, waiting expectantly. Depending on his answer, Totosai would either tell him how to get stronger, or not. Naruto didn't answer him just yet, seemingly in deep thought.

"I want to get stronger... so I can get my precious person back." Naruto answered, saying the last part with unwavering conviction.

"Ah I see, your doing this out of love." Naruto nodded his head. Totosai sighed and shook his head. "Well since you put that way... I happen to know a way to help you get stronger." Totosai went to the bag that was tied to the bull and started to search inside it. When he found what he was looking for, he pulled out some arm and leg weights.

"You got to be kidding me." Naruto said deadpanned. Totosai shook his head and threw the weights at Naruto with ease. Naruto instinctively ducked under them and when the weights hit the ground, Naruto could feel it shake the ground. He looked back at the weights with disbelief.

"What the hell?! What kind of weights are those?" Naruto asked hysterically.

"Heavy ones. If you want to get stronger, you're going to have to fight with those weights on. Not only will you get stronger but you'll also get faster. No thanks are necessary." Totosai said, leaning against his bull and closing his eyes.

"I agree..." Naruto said more to himself. He sighed, hung his head in defeat and went to pick up the weights and put them on. As he did that, Totosai opened one eye and looked at him.

_'I'll tell him the other way to get stronger another time..._' He thought before going to sleep.

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**That's about it...**

**I know my stories usual chapter length is about +6,000 words but I fell like typing each chapter in half... That way it won't take as long to update...**

**Next chapter will have a scene or two before a time skip to after Naruto and Iva's trip, meaning they go back to Konoha!  
**

**You know the drill; review to tell me what you think of the story!**

**Next Chapter: Not sure what it'll be... just wait...  
**

**Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: deal with it, get over it or choke on it!**


	4. Ogres and training

**Hey, Angelito soldado here!**

**So yeah, this is going to be a filler chapter just cuz I need one... I know I said there would be a time skip in this chapter but if i did, it would've made it too long and it would've been too troublesome... But I promise to make the next chapter longer...  
**

**Anways, Chapter 4: Ogres and training...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, deal with it...  
**

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A week has passed since Naruto was confronted but Sasuke. Iva was able to convince Totosai to make her a sword,'a better one than nii-san' she told him. He had told them that her sword would be done in two weeks. Naruto scoffed, thinking that giving Iva a sword was ridiculous but after a violent talk with Iva, Naruto's opinion suddenly changed.

Now, Naruto was walking up a hill on a trail that led to a village that was rumored to be infested with demon ogres. Iva was resting on Naruto's shoulders, picking the dirt out of her claws. She looked up when Naruto reached the top of the hill and saw a small village. It looked peaceful and tranquil which made Naruto doubt that ogres were actually there. Iva groaned as she rolled onto her back and stared at the village while upside down, some how keeping her balance on Naruto's shoulder.

"Nii-san, why are we going to that village? It doesn't look like any fun and I'm bored." Iva whined.

"Tch, I don't care. I'm here to get stronger so it doesn't matter if you're bored. You know what, how about you join me when I fight?" He playfully suggested. Iva's eyes sparked and had a look best described as someone thinking up the best idea ever.

"That's a great idea nii-san." Iva then jumped off his shoulders and went full speed for the village, leaving Naruto behind. After getting over his shock, he made a run for Iva.

"Iva hold on, I was only kidding. Stupid weights." Naruto said, almost tripping over his foot because of the weights. When he finally made it down the hill and into the village, he got a bad feeling.

"It's to quite, even for a human village." Naruto said to himself. A sudden shake in the ground proved to him that he was right.

Naruto felt another one and looked to his left, where he felt the shake coming from. He saw Iva laughing while flipping back away from a blue, ten foot ogre with a big club. Naruto sprang into action and blocked another of the ogres swing with the Tessaiga. The ogre laughed at Naruto until he saw his red eyes.

_'R-Red eyes? No way...'_ The ogre thought. With a surprising amount of strength, Naruto pushed the ogre back. The ogre took a couple of steps back. He looked at Naruto and got angry.

"Little half breed think he tough." The ogre said but Naruto smiled.

"Big ogre no know big words? Make me laugh." Naruto mocked and saw the ogre's face turn from blue to red. The ogre roared loudly, summoning two other ogres to the battle. Naruto's smile was replaced with a frown.

"Damn it." He cursed. He was about to take of the weights when he remembered Totosai saying that he shouldn't take them off until he was really used to them. He cursed under word under his breath.

Deciding to lighten his load, he put the Tessaiga away in his obi. The ogres seemed interested in what he had planned but Naruto just stood there, watching them as they watched him.

"Oh Oh, let me fight them nii-san." Iva said cheerfully. Naruto turned to her with a smile.

"I doubt you'll be able to take them on but... If you can make two ogres fall down then I'll buy you whatever you want." Naruto offered. Iva's eyes sparkled at this.

"Promise?"

"I promise, and I always keep my promise." Iva nodded her head enthusiastically but then she became serious. She closed her eyes and remained still. When she opened her eyes again, they were a lot darker than they were before. The once happy amber eyes were now serious and dark. Naruto didn't get much time to study them as she charged towards the ogres.

The ogres laughed and the one in the middle raised its club and brought it down right on Iva, making dust come off the ground. The ogres' laughter grew louder until Iva came running out of the dust and up the ogres club. They were too surprised to act and that was exactly what Iva wanted.

She jumped up in the air and started furiously kicking down on the middle ogre's face, almost like a drill. The constant kicking made the ogre lose his balance and he fell to the ground after Iva back flipped, landing near Naruto.

Naruto was in shock when he saw the ogre fall by the hands of a cute little hanyou. Iva smiled and held out the "V" for victory sign.

"That's one nii-san." She once again ran straight towards the ogres, hard set on at least bring down one more. The ogres though now knew not to take Iva lightly.

With a much quicker speed, one ogre swung down at Iva again while the other waited to swing when she was in the air. Just like they predicted, Iva jumped up when the first ogre attacked and then the second swung, making it nearly impossible for Iva to move out of the way. That was until Naruto decided to get involved.

Naruto reared his right arm back, charged up his claw with his demonic energy and compressed them tightly against his claws.

"**Slicing Inhumation!**" He brought his hand forward and sliced the ogres club into five pieces, making the ogre miss Iva. Iva was oblivious to the ogre's sneak attack, knowing that she had Naruto around to protect her.

Iva landed on the other ogre's head and started to scratch it with her claws. The ogre groaned in pain and readied his club to hit Iva. Iva saw this coming but didn't stop, she just prepared herself.

The ogre swung his club, hoping to take out the annoying hanyou. Iva moved out of the way at the last second and the ogre hit himself on the head, making him lose balance and groan before falling back, unconscious. Unfortunately for the ogre who fell the first time, the second ogre to fall by Iva fell right on top of him. The ogre groaned, feeling a lot of pain coming from his probably broken back.

Iva smiled and watched as Naruto dealt with the last ogre. She put some distance between her and his fight, having a feeling that it was a good idea to do that.

Naruto sent a round house kick to the ogre's face, making take some steps back, right in front of the other ogres. Deciding to ed it now, Naruto took out the Tessaiga and felt the rift from his demonic energy and the ogres' clashing together. Relying on instinct again, Naruto cut through the rift and again a giant red blade of energy headed straight for the ogres, obliterating them in an instant.

Naruto smiled and sighed, having killed off the ogres. Iva then jumped on his back and smiled a knowing smile, not making Naruto feel good for some reason.

"You know what I always wanted..." She started, making Naruto tense up and regret the promise he made to her. He sighed in resignation and started to walk out of the village, Iva on his shoulders telling him what she wanted most. Unknown to them, the villagers slowly walked out of their homes, looking at Naruto's retreating form. They cheered when they realized that he took care of the ogres for good.

[*.*.*.*]

No light shined in the room, the curtains were hanging in front of the window, blocking the light. She locked the door to her room and was hugging her knees to her chest, tightly and was crying with all her might in a corner of her room.

She hated this, even more so then she had before. She despised the Kingdom of Konoha and it's people. They were all ignorant and greedy. They only wanted power and money, which sickened her.

Hinata cried into her knees, thinking back on what he father said.

_"I know this isn't exactly what you want Hinata but it is for the best. I'm sure you'll learn to get over it and accept it."_

Hinata scoffed and shut her eyes tightly.

_'Get over it he says. That's not going to seeing as I have to do something against my will in two and a half years.'_ She thought with malice.

"I hate this." She said to herself. Her tears fell down her eyes in a rapid pace. "W-Where's Naruto-kun... when I-I need him?" She asked no one in particular. There was a soft knock on her door but Hinata didn't look up, she really didn't care.

"Lady Hinata?" She heard Tenten's muffled voice ask.

"Go away!" Hinata answered back. "I don't want to talk to anyone."

Tenten didn't say anything after that, making Hinata think she went away. A stronger knock came from her door seconds later and Hinata groaned.

"I said..."

"Hinata Hyuga! You come open this door immediately." Hinata heard her father demand. Not wanting to upset him even more than she already had, Hinata wiped her tears away and walked up to the door. She unlocked it and opened it to see a stoic Hiashi with a scared Tenten behind him. His expression didn't fool her, she knew he was mad but it disappeared when he saw her red puffy eyes. He didn't show it though, seeing as he didn't want to drop his facade in front of others.

"Y-Yes father?" Hinat stuttered, still feeling a bit uneasy under her father's gaze.

"Tenten was sent to come get you to eat. Now go get ready for it, I don't want you to be seen like this." Hinata looked at the floor and bowed. Hiashi nodded and walked to the dining room with Tenten following him.

Hinata closed the door and went to fix herself. She didn't understand why she was suddenly being forced to eat in the dining room. They would usually bring the food to her room and leave her in peace.

It wasn't like she was meeting a suitor or anything, right?

**[*.*.One Month Later.*.*]**

Naruto ducked under a swift arc and then jumped back, readying his own sword to fight against his opponents sword. His opponent ran straight at him, sword in the air ready to come down. Naruto smiled and at the last minute, stepped to the side and tripped his opponent, making her fall face first onto the ground.

"Nii-san, that hurt." Iva said, rubbing her nose with her hand, putting her sword to the side but not letting it go. Iva's sword has a blade with a blue hue to it, with waves engraved on it. The guard resembles a pair of angel wings and its grip is of a gray metal with a pattern made of waves done in an inlay of a light lavender-colored material. The pommel bears a series of moonstones.

Unlike Naruto's Tessaiga, Iva's sword was made from a talon instead of a fang, or so Totosai told Naruto. That old man really got on Naruto's nerves. When Naruto rejected the idea of a sheath, Iva was able to violently persuade him to get one for both of them.

Naruto sighed at that memory. Iva got up and stretched her right arm. She looked down at the clothes she wore and smiled.

"Thanks again for buying me these awesome training clothes nii-san." Naruto nodded his head with indifference. The thing that she wanted most was a very expensive blue kimono with red roses imprinted on them. Naruto thought she just wanted it to look pretty and other things girls thoughtabout. Unfortunately, Iva used it to train, which seemed odd to him because he didn't think it would be comfortable to fight in one of those things.

Compared to when he first got it, the kimono now looked like crap.

_'Luckily I stole it but she doesn't need to know that.'_ Iva spun on her heels, watching the extra fabric flow through the air. Naruto smiled when she watched in obvious facination. Even though she acted like a tom boy, she was still a girl at heart which meant she would like boys, dresses and other girly things. Naruto counted his blessings that she still didn't like boys, he really didn't want to deal with that now... or ever now that he thought about it.

Being with Iva for such a short amount of time made Naruto feel a sort of obligation to protect Iva from everything, almost like an older brother. The first thing on the list he would protect Iva from was boys; regardless if they were human or a demon or something in between.

Without warning, Iva jumped on Naruto's shoulders and wrapped her petite arms around his neck so as not to fall off.

"So nii-san, what are you thinking about?" Naruto shook his head, she could get a bit annoying sometimes but what's a little sister without the annoyance that comes with her right?

"Not much, just the future." He looked down in sadness. now wondering how much longer until he was strong enough to return home. He really missed Hinata and to see her smiling face again would be a wish come true. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Iva was snapping her hands in front of his face.

"Geez nii-san, you've been spacing out a lot lately. Anything you want to share?" Iva asked, genuinely concerned.

"No, it's nothing really, just thinking about going home soon." Iva smiled a huge smile.

"So that means I get to see where you lived." Iva jumped off Naruto and started doing a small victory dance. Naruto laughed at her dance but she ignored him.

"Calm down Iva, I said I was thinking of going home soon, that doesn't mean I am. I still have to get stronger." Naruto lifted his arm up and swung it around. "Even though I can move a little easier now that I got used to the weights, it still doesn't mean I'm strong enough. Besides, if you're going back with me, you're going to have to get stronger too." This stopped Iva and looked at him. Naruto expected to see anger in her eyes but all he saw was excitement and anticipation.

"Really?" She asked excitedly.

"Uhm, sure..." Naruto answered hesitantly. Iva then started another dance and was cheering as Naruto hung his head.

_'I was only kidding.' _Naruto suddenly felt a small amount of pain fill his heart. He put his hand over his heart and felt it's pace quicken. This frighten him, this only happened when something bad was happening to Hinata. Naruto looked up at the sky and prayed that for once, this was a false alarm but he knew it wasn't. He closed his eyes and titled his head forward.

"Hinata... wait for me. Soon enough, I'll be home again to get you back." Naruto opened his eyes and stared ar the ground. "But... why do I have a feeling that it might be too late by then."

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**Not as exciting as the others or at all but it is necessary, even if it is just to tell you that something bad's going to happen and it involves Hinata... Wonder if Naruto's just paranoid... Who knows...**

**So yeah, I promise that the next chapter will have the time skip... mostly cuz I got no motivation to write about their training...**

**So yeah, review and maybe I'll update sooner... If I do, it gets me more pumped to write the next chapter...**

**If not... then I guess you won't find out if Naruto gets to be Hinata's knight or what happens to Hinata...**

**Honestly, it's disappointing when in a world where everyone has a myspace and type about three hundred words per message, no one ever types up a review... It really confuses me but whatever...**

**Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it!**


	5. Homecoming!

**Hello there! How's it going!**

**Anyways, I just want to thank everyone who reviewed cuz it helped me write this chapter sooner!**

**Not much to say write now, can't really think of anything, so enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!**

**Chapter 5: Homecoming!**

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot... nuff said...  
**

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Naruto sighed as he walked into his old home, somewhat hating that he was back in Konoha but happy now that he would be able to see Hinata again.

About two years after he met Iva, Naruto decided to head home. During his trip, He discovered new moves he could do with his sword, Tessaiga. He can use Wind Scar, he used to have to sense his and the demon's demonic energy clashing to find the rift, but soon learns to use it without sensing the rift by putting his own power into it.

After his journey was complete, Naruto has noticed that Iva has grown a lot during their trip. Her hair grew longer, going as far as her mid-back. Her amber eyes grew lighter and now has a shade of blue.

As weird as it sounds, her eyes always changed color, depending on the seasons and/or during a difficult situation. Her eyes are always amber, but do change a little. When it's spring, they get a little green. During the summer, they get a bit purple. In fall, they get a little red and during winter, they get a little blue. He changed over the years too. His hair got a bit longer and a bit darker. His fangs and claws got longer and sharper as well. His amber eyes still held determination and hope while keeping its cold gaze. He still wears his Robe or the Fire Rat, with the white shirt under it. Iva, though, changed her look completely. Her new outfit consists of a indigo tunic enlivened with heavy silk fringe with dove-grey shorts and a silver cotton armband. She also wears a dark blue cloak made of dark rose cotton.

Naruto expected Iva to go off on her own when he returned to the kingdom and discover who she really was. Instead, she told him she would stay by him and help him be with Hinata.

During the journey, Naruto realized that he was not always going to be with her to protect her. So he trained her to be tough and capable of defending herself. After demonstrating Blades of Blood and Slicing Inhumation, she came up with two, similar moves.

The first one she calls Slicing Charm Streams, which enables her to fling light blue blades of energy, much like Blades of Blood except she uses water instead of blood. Her other attacks lets her uses her demonic and mysterious aura to cover her claw with ice and reinforce them, similar to Slicing Inhumation, but better in her opinion. And because of her mysterious aura, the ice doesn't melt at all until she wishes it and is three times harder than diamonds. Naruto decided to name this one and called it Arctic Claw. She was disappointed that he got to name one of her attacks but he told her to get over it. She also learned how to uses the water particles in the air if natural water is not available.

Incredibly, Iva was able to handle her new sword quite nicely. She named it Taruhitachi since most of her attacks involve ice or water. After learning how to use her sword properly, Iva finally mastered her own attack. She calls her sword attack Frigid Whirlwind, which allows her to summon up a mini-tornado with sharp ice randomly flying around in it. This allows her to trap her enemy in it and get cut up. This move is not typically fatal, though it could be depending on her mood.

That's another thing Naruto noticed about Iva, how her mood could also affect her eyes and attacks. When she she's in a bad mood, her eyes become a darker version of her current eye color. But they become a little bit brighter when she's in a good mood. Like wise with her attacks. When she's angry, her attacks become more fierce, stronger, faster and deadlier. When she's calm, it's normal and accurate.

Naruto sat quietly on his couch as he waited for night to come. Of course, being the impatient person that he is, he moved and fidgeted in his seat as he waited. Naruto turned to his left and looked out the window, a lot has changed since he's last been within the walls of the kingdom. His old cottage house was still intact. Almost everyone gave him the same cold glares, but this time he had to share those glares with Iva, who he considered a little sister. This got Naruto angry and almost attacked a random guy because he gave Iva a disgusted yet interested look. If knights weren't patrolling the streets, Naruto might've just cut down the man from where he stood.

He still didn't get a chance to see Hinata yet since he was still hated by the kingdom and forbidden to see her. He met up with Hanabi the day before and asked her when she was going to change him. She replied: "Tomorrow night, the night of the full moon. It will be easier to do it then since that's when your demonic aura will be less active." He mentioned Iva to her and asked if she could do the same for her. Hanabi denied at first but reluctantly agreed when Naruto almost chopped her head off with Tessaiga.

He got tired of waiting inside and decided to get some fresh air. As soon as he stepped outside, he was run over by a running Iva. Iva then closed the door and locked it, leaving Naruto out cold on the front porch. When he woke up, he saw that the sun was half way down and it was starting to get dark. He was pleased that it was almost night, but remembered what happened.

_'What the hell? Why was she running?'_ He charged into the house and saw Iva eating in the dining room.

"What the hell was that about?" He yelled. Iva thought for a moment before laughing.

"Ha-ha, oh that. Well, I'll tell you..." Her pause confused Naruto and angered him to no end.

"Well..."

"Well you can't rush perfection."

"But I'm not rushing perfection, I'm rushing you. Now stop playing around and tell me what happened!" She sighed, she really hated when Naruto got like this, impatient and what not.

_'Geez, he needs to relax more.'_

"Well, I walked into a store, right. Then I walked up to the cashier lady and asked her if she sold jewelry. She said she didn't. I was about to walk away when a knight grabbed me by the arm..."

"What?" She moved her hands to tell him she wasn't finished. She then removed her bandanna that hid her foc ears and let out her tail, letting it sway back and forth.

"Relax, he didn't do anything. He only asked me if I was new to the kingdom. I said yes and he asked me if I wanted a tour of the place. I would've declined but he never let me answer and he showed me around. I got to see a lot of cool things like the kingdom's beautiful lake and a village not too far from the kingdom's border."

"Is that why you ran me over when you came back?" On the outside, Naruto just looked a bit peeved at Iva because of what she did earlier, but on the inside, he was angry at the knight and wished he could find said Knight to have a little 'talk' with him.

"No, I ran here because I had two things to tell you. One; said knight invited me to eat lunch with him tomorrow. Two; I saw the queen." Naruto's eyes widened.

_'Did she really see Hinata?' _

"She's really pretty but she was a little mean." Naruto didn't like the sound of that.

"What do you mean?"

"... Well... when I saw her, she was very pretty and sitting in one those portable thrones, or whatever it is. Anyways, when I passed by, I saw a little girl trip and fall somewhere near the queen. What I saw shocked me because as she helped the little girl up, who had a smile on her face, the queen whispered something in her ear that caused the girl's smile to disappear."

"And what did she say?" Iva went into a thinking pose.

"Well, I couldn't get the exacts words, seeing as I was about 50 yards away surrounded by millions of screaming citizens. But it went along the lines of 'Get in the way again and I'll see to it that you'll spend that rest of your childhood in the dungeon'." Naruto sat unmoving, completely overtaken by shock.

_'No way! Not Hinata, she was never like that. But, then who did she see?'_ Naruto thought.

"Are you sure you saw the queen, not someone else?" Naruto asked hopeful. Iva heard this and didn't really want to crush it but she couldn't lie to him either.

"The person I saw had long, dark blue hair, light lavender eyes that made her look blind and had a warm smile. If that's not that queen than she was a very popular girl then." Naruto knew that was Hinata, his mood became somber as he remembered something.

"Hey, we gotta leave soon because we got to meet up with Hanabi. She's going to help us look human."

"What!? Why would I want to look human. I look just as good if not better right now than I would if I looked human." Naruto shook his head and let out a small chuckle. He thought it was funny how sometimes his younger sister was vain.

"Because if you want to become a knight, you gotta look human." Naruto's tone turned into a sad one. "You should know that we aren't accept in society because of what we are and if we enter looking like this, they'll just laugh and kick us off the castle. Now, come on, Hanabi is probably waiting for us."

Iva nodded her head and followed after Naruto. As much as she loved messing with him, she knew she had to be serious when he got like this. She knew exactly how he felt when it came to fitting in. If anything, she had a worse life than he did. Well, maybe. She doesn't know since she doesn't remember anything about her past. They decided to walk through the woods instead of walking through the town since they didn't want to deal with any angry or drunk citizens.

When they reached the clearing they agreed to meet in, Naruto sat down on a stump, arms crossed and Tessaiga leaning against him. Iva paced around the clearing, waiting to get it over with. For a while, Naruto thought she wasn't going to show up. As the sun started to set, Hanabi appeared out of thin air and scared Iva. Now, scaring Iva is not the best course of action. When she's scared, she tends to attack whatever just scared her. So when Hanabi appeared with warning, Iva jumped up in the air and attacked.

"**Slicing Charm Stream!**" Her attack didn't get far since Naruto got Tessaiga and blocked it. He turned to Hanabi who stood there unmoving and as passive as ever.

"I see that you're still as emotionless as ever Hanabi."

"And you're still that annoying, arrogant, weak little boy I met two years ago." Naruto growled at her words.

"Shut up! I was not weak." She laughed a little but still managed to show little emotion. Iva moved closer to the two.

"Anyways, are you going to help us or not?" Hanabi looked at both of them and then at the sun which was setting. When she looked back down, she saw Naruto and Iva changing into their human forms.

"I guess so. Now, It would be easy for me to just make your looks permanent, but the knights and everyone else already knows how you look like when you're like this. So, I'll just have to mix it up a bit." She started chanting and her hands glowed an ominous blue. When she finished her chant, she pointed her hands at Naruto and the glow traveled from her hands to Naruto.

"Naruto!" Iva screamed as she covered her eyes before the bright light could blind her. When the light disappeared, she looked to where Naruto stood and couldn't believe it. "N-Na...Naruto?" Naruto lay on the ground unconscious...

* * *

**I know that this chapter is a bit shorter than usual but I just wanted it to end with a huge cliffhanger... Muah haha I'm so evil...**

**Again, sorry that not much happens in this chapter but I like I read once, without a steady foundation, the whole thing will just fall on top of itself or something like that so yeah, that's it!**

**So yeah, apparently, a whole lot has changed like... Hinata, she seems mean, telling that poor little girl that she'll send her to the dungeon if she gets in the way again... Well damn, never saw it coming...**

**I'm sure you will enjoy the long wait until this is updated again right? Of course!**

**Next Chapter: Fit to be a knight?**

**Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it!**


	6. Fit to be a knight?

**Yo, sorry it took so long to update this but hey, at least it's up ne?**

**Anways, enjoy!**

**Chapter 6: Fit to be a knight?Fit to be a knight?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything but the plot and Iva...**

* * *

Iva kept her eyes on her brother while Hanabi had her eyes closed with a smirk. Iva looked up at Hanabi and glared.

"What are you smiling about?" Iva asked as she grabbed her sword with two hands; ready to take down Hanabi if necessary. Hanabi raised her eyebrow at Iva but kept her smirk on her lips.

"You think you would be able to bring me down yourself? Many have tried… many have died in the process." Hanabi said as her hands gave off a dull glow of purple. Iva's grip on the hilt of her sword tightened as sweat rolled down her brow; she wasn't sure she could actually beat Hanabi. If anything, she wasn't even sure if she could land one hit before she was brought down.

"Damn it…" Iva and Hanabi snapped out of their stares as Naruto made to stand, though was having a hard time doing so. Iva ran to his side and help him stand, placing his left arm over her shoulder. "Grr… the hell… was that?" He asked as his eyes pierced Hanabi though they didn't have the same effect that he was hoping for.

"I made you look more human. What? Don't tell me that hurt?" Hanabi mocked with her smile, sickening Naruto as he spat blood on the floor. "I'm actually impressed, most wouldn't be able to withstand the pain and mostly die. It appears you have grown stronger." Naruto glared at her as he started to get his composure together.

"Whatever, I'll survive… apparently." Naruto said as he now stood up by himself. Iva however didn't leave his side.

"Guess it's her turn." Hanabi's hands glowed an ominous blue before it flew off its hands and headed for Iva. Naruto, acting fast, unsheathed Tessaiga and swung down as it glowed a small yellow light. The now glowing sword sliced the ominous blue light in half and it disappeared. Hanabi looked at him oddly, her smile gone from her face, as Naruto started to sweat from the effort it took to do what he did. But why, why was it so hard to do something so simple as to activate Tessaiga and swing it down.

"If she went through what I did, then I don't think she'll be as lucky as me." Naruto said as Tessaiga returned to its original form. He fell to one knee and used his Tessaiga to support him. Hanabi sighed as she placed her hands on her hips.

"How boring, so you want me to use the spell that's painless?" Hanabi asked and Naruto growled.

"IF THERE WAS A PAINLESS SPELL, THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU USE IT ONE ME?!" Naruto shouted and Hanabi shrugged her shoulders.

"It would've been boring if I did." She answered and Naruto coughed in his hands, and then wiped the blood away from his hand. He stood up and felt that his legs could support, so he sheathed Tessaiga and looked at Iva.

"It's up to you; do you trust her to make you look more human?" Naruto asked and Iva looked away, seemingly in thought.

"If you trust her aniki, then I do too." She said with a faint smile. Naruto smiled back and then looked at Hanabi with an unreadable expression. Did he trust Hanabi? To a certain extent yes but with this…

"You better be sure this is painless or I will kill you." Naruto said and Hanabi nodded. This time, an auspicious green glow appeared in Hanabi's hands and she pointed it at Iva. It sped off her hands and surrounded Iva. Hanabi raised an eyebrow in interest when the green glow surrounding Iva was blown away. She still looked normal and Iva was looking at her hands.

"Hey, what gives?! I still look the same." She said. Naruto looked at Hanabi as if to ask her the same question. Hanabi walked up to Iva who flinched when Hanabi's hands touched her cheek.

"You're no ordinary hanyō…" Hanabi's hands glowed an eerie green before a white light came between her hand and Iva's cheek and blew her hand away. Hanabi staggered back as her right hand started to burn until the light disappeared and left her hand blistering. She summoned up a dark light and it immediately healed her hand. She glared at Iva who was too shocked to notice the glare being directed at her. Naruto noticed it though.

"The hell is that about?" He asked.

"This girl… nothing, it's not important right now. From the little time I was able to examine her, it seems that her blood is making her immune to my magic." Hanabi said as she raised her right hand and looked at it. Even though the scar and blistering was gone, she could still feel the burn of the pure aura that came from Iva.

"So…" Iva said after snapping out of her thoughts.

"So there is nothing I can do." Hanabi answered before she turned and walked away. Before Naruto could call her out, her body seemed to hazed out of his sight. He growled as he clenched and unclenched his fist.

"Aniki…" Naruto turned his gaze on Iva who was looking at the floor with a disappointed look. "I'm sorry that I can't look human. I just wish I could and go with you tomorrow." She said, not noticing that her amber eyes shined a little. Not one noticed and she kept the sad frown on her face and Naruto put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw him smiling warmly at her.

"Don't worry, we'll think of something. Let's go home." He said Iva nodded and they started walking toward his cottage home. She looked up and him and stared.

"You know, you don't look that much different from your old self though it still hard to tell. Does that make sense?" She asked and Naruto chuckled.

"Somewhat but I'll be able to see what you meant when we get home." Naruto said and the rest of the walk home was silent. As they walked in, Iva immediately crashed into the couch closest to her and yawned. "You ok?" Naruto asked, never seeing Iva so tired before. She usually would be bouncing off the walls or stay awake to the late hours of the night before she slept.

"Yeah, I'm just sooooo tired." She said an in less than a second, she was out like a lamp. Naruto chuckled as he placed Tessaiga next to Iva and he walked to the bathroom, preparing himself for what he was about to see. He walked into the bathroom but didn't light the candle that would light up the entire room. He just stood in front of the mirror and from the little light he had from the moon, he could see his silhouette.

Naruto reached up and from his silhouette, he saw that his fox ears were gone. He groaned as he lit up the candle near him and gasped. His once red eyes were now their deep cerulean blue eyes he knew he got from his father. He had seen a picture of his mother; a powerful Daiyōkai with long red hair and blood red eyes, always wearing a long white kimono unless she was in her demon form.

His father…

Naruto shook his head as he continued to examine his new look. His long, blond hair that had red tips on them was now shorter; more tamed and didn't have the red tips. His feral fangs were now no longer than any other human he's seen. His whisker marks, they were no longer there, which kind of sadden Naruto because Hinata had told him how much she adored them. He brought his hand up to run it through his hair and noticed that it too changed; no longer having the claws.

Naruto sighed and was about to turn off the candle when from a distant view, he saw that he looked like his father… Slamming his palm on top of the candle, Naruto growled as the burn from the candle's wax started to eat away at his skin but he didn't care. His father… he loathed his father. He picked up his hand and from the small amount of light in the room, he saw that the wax was now hardened and was stuck against his palm.

Naruto peeled it off and saw that his palm was a dark shade of red before it returned to its normal color. Even through his anger, he couldn't help but smile, it seemed as though his still had his demonic energy and healing powers. Clenching his hand tightly, Naruto chuckled. With this new look and the power he gained through his training, he was sure he would get his love back… one way or another.

[*.*.*.*]

Rushing through the people in her way, a young woman wearing a dark purple cloak with the hood over her head mumbled under her breath, earning some odd looks from the people she passed. She ignored them, they were only mortal and such beings were nothing but a waste of space with flesh. She passed over the cement wall that prevented her from reaching her target and she smiled when the guards hadn't realized she was inside.

She walked up to the castle in front of her and with a faint green glow under her feet, the woman started to levitate up to the window of the room she was looking for. Landing silently on the window sill, the woman's hands phased through the window's glass and unlocked it. Pushing it open, the woman jumped in the room with a dull thud.

Across the room in the bed, covers tossed and turned but made no move after that. The woman shook her head in disappointment. She was not only disappointed in the one sleeping on the bed but at her father. He was wrong…

He was wrong when he chose the poor excuse for a queen in front of her to rule the kingdom. He was wrong for preparing her to rule the kingdom. He was also wrong for ignoring her as the choice to rule the kingdom.

"What is it you want?" Came the cold voice from under the covers. Hanabi gasped but soon recovered her passive expression.

"I was merely checking up on you my queen." Was Hanabi's answer as she sat down on a chair that happened to be besides her. The queen sat up and her cold, emotionless white eyes pierced Hanabi's somewhat fearful gaze. Hanabi, though scared, was impressed at how the woman in front of her had changed since they first met. The girl she first met was spineless and kind hearted. But thanks to her, now Hinata barely showed any emotions except for that fact happiness for the citizens of Konoha and anger which she was using on her now.

"I don't need to be checked up on; I am perfectly capable with taking care of myself. Do you doubt my ability at self defense beloved sister?" Hinata asked as her eyes narrowed a little and Hanabi felt a sweat roll down her cheek. On the left side of Hanabi's neck, the tattoo started to glow and she felt pain start to wash over her.

"N-No, my queen. I was merely making sure you were ok." Hanabi said as she bit her lower lip. She hated the seal placed on her the day Hinata was identified as the heiress. Merely the thought of activating was enough for the seal to actually activate. At first, she refused to use it, seeing as it hurt Hanabi to the point of losing consciousness.

Hanabi cursed the angry side of Hinata, though it was her fault for bring it out. She then felt the seal recede and numb out the pain in her body. She let out a gasp as her breathing became labored and she was drenched in her sweat. Willing her body to look up, Hanabi sneered as Hinata had on her fake smile.

"Leave, I still need my rest for tomorrow." Hinata said as she lay back down on her bed. Hanabi stood and shook off the numbness in her neck.

"Milady, are you ready for the event tomorrow?" Hanabi asked with a knowing smile. Before Hinata was able to sleep, she looked at Hanabi and asw the smile.

"Of course, I have been preparing for it for the last two years." Hinata answered. Hanabi stifled her laugh as she saw a little emotion returning to Hinata's eyes. Apparently, the spark that lay dormant in her was awakening at the thought of what she had to do tomorrow.

"It just seems that you are not ready considering the announcement of the marriage between you and lord Inuzuka." Hanabi mentioned and she felt the room grow cold from Hinata's anger yet she could see it in her eyes, the regret enlaced in them.

"I will do what I must for my kingdom. If that is to rule beside Lord Inuzuka, then that is what I will do." Hinata answered with wavering conviction. Hanabi's knowing smile became an anticipated one as she opened her mouth.

"What about Naruto?" The pain in her neck returned and became intense as she let out a cry of pain. Hinata pushed aside her covers and stood up in front of Hanabi who was on her knees holding her neck.

"What do you know of Naruto?" Hinata asked as she glared daggers at Hanabi's cowering form.

"H-He's… argh… milady, please… I cannot talk while… ah! Under the seal's unfluence." Hanabi said through the pain and then felt it recede again.

"I will not ask again; what do you know of Naruto?" Hinata asked as she calmed down. Hanabi staggered as she stood.

"He plans on winning you back, to save you from this place." Hanabi said ignoring her pain. Hinata's eyes momentarily returned to their lavender shade but were then overridden with a white tint.

"I see." She said as she returned to her bed. "Now leave me, if not, I won't hesitate to activate the seal to its full potential." Not needing to be told twice, Hanabi disappeared in a swirl of darkness and Hinata was left alone in her room. Feeling a sense of humidity in her eyes, Hinata slowly moved her hands to her eyes and felt her tears.

"Why is it that only he can help me shed my tears that lay dormant in my eyes?" She asked herself. Her heart was pacing at an above average pace and Hinata placed her other hand over her heart, calming it if only a little. "Love… such a useless emotion. You're attempt is in vain Naruto." She said solemnly.

Turning to the side and looking out at the moon, Hinata's white eyes closed for a second before they reopened to reveal her lavender orbs. She cast her gaze on the nightstand next to her and opened the top drawer. In her hands was a necklace with a great big green gem being held by the rope.

"Naruto-kun… please, hurry." Her sad, sweet voice said as she clenched the necklace tight and held it against her chest as she felt herself losing consciousness.

[*.*.*.*]

Naruto smirked as he woke up on the roof, the sun's rays waking and heating his unprotected skin. With a stretch of his limbs, Naruto jumped down from the roof and walked up to the door and opened it. He saw that Iva wasn't sleeping anymore though he actually didn't see her anywhere. He walked through the house and spotted that the door to his bathroom was closed.

"Iva?!" He heard a sleepy moan from inside and he chuckled. "Nothing, just wanted to make sure you were here. " He yelled and heard yet another sleepy moan. He laughed as he went to his kitchen and opened a decently large box.

Nothing.

"Damn it." He said as he shut the wooden box closed and walked into the couch. He lay down for only a second before a loud yell filled his home. Jumping to his feet, Naruto rushed to where the yell came from and burst down the door to the bathroom. He stood there in shock when Iva was looking at herself in his bathroom. "You… you still look…"

"Human." Iva finished for him as her jade eyes were wide in surprise. Her hands were over her head, looking for her silver fox ears over her now black hair but couldn't find them.

"That's odd." Naruto said but then took a step back when Iva started to laugh and ruffle her soft black hair.

"You know what this means aniki?" She asked and Naruto shook his head. "This means that can now go with you without a problem!" She said and it then hit Naruto; she was right.

"Well come on, let's not waste time doing nothing." He said happily as he grabbed Tessaiga and tossed Iva her Taruhitachi. She caught it and they both sprinted to the castle where they would get a chance to become knights for the queen.

[*.*.*.*]

"We have to be a what?!" Naruto shouted as the knight in front of him smirked arrogantly. After reaching the castle, they were given audience to a group of knights who were supposed to pass judgment on those who wished to become a knight.

"You heard me; you have to be a page first." The same knight answered.

"The hell is that?" Iva asked in a deep voice. She was first denied the opportunity to become a knight because she was a girl but Naruto made her look more like a boy so now, here they were.

"A page is someone who is trained to become a knight. They must he learned about horses, armor and weapons. Because hunting is so important, a page has to learn how to handle hawks and falcons, as well as to cut up a deer for venison. You as a page will also be expected to serve the meals at the knight's table. You have to learn how to carve the meat properly before becoming a knight, both of you." The knight told him. A second knight, much taller than the first knight, stood up and went in front of Naruto.

"Actually, by the looks of it, he seems way better than a page and a squire." The knight said as only his left eye was visible as the other was covered by bandages. He also had his helmet off so Naruto was able to see his lopsided silver hair. "If anything, he looks like he can beat you." The knight said as the other knight besides the one who just spoke scoffed.

"He appears weaker to me." He replied.

"How about we find out?" Naruto asked with a smirk and the knights looked at him. The knight with silver hair looked at the ceiling in thought.

"Well, we could do that. There's nothing in the laws that state we can't." The knight said with an eye smile. Naruto smiled and choked a laugh from coming out of him when he saw the other knight laugh.

"Fine, let's do it. He wins, he becomes a knight and his friend becomes a squire. I win; they both become my personal servants."

"Fine." Naruto said as he took out Tessaiga and held it in his hands with one hand. Everyone in the room except for the silver haired knight and the disguised Iva, laughed at Tessaiga.

"I am now sure that I will win. Look at the dullness of the blade." The knight mocked and Naruto smirked.

"We won't know how dull the blade is until we fight." He said and everyone in the room, which oddly enough was actually an old dojo, gave the two some space. The knight took out his sword and the two started to side step each other, making a circle around the center of the room.

"Scared yet? This sword will actually cut unlike that trash you have." The knight mocked again but Naruto shrugged it off.

The doors leading to the old dojo opened and Hiashi stepped in, looking for Kakashi, his most faithful knight. He looked around and saw that they were all watching one of his knights, Ebisu, holding his sword in a battle stance against a much younger man Hiashi's never seen before.

"Here I go!" Hiashi's eyes widened at seeing the young man's sword. He really didn't believe the boy was stupid enough to use such a dull and old looking sword. The young man jumped in the air and hid his sword behind his back. When he swung down on Ebisu, Hiasi was blown away by the sword's new look.

"W-What?" Ebisu asked in shock as a sword bigger than any sword he's seen before clashed against his. Naruto smirked as he pushed back Ebisu with unreal power and strength. Rearing his sword back, Nartuo swung down again and this time, it caused Ebisu's sword to chip.

"Hmm, pathetic." Jumping into the air and behind Ebisu, Naruto swung back and let the hilt of Tessaiga hit Ebisu's protected back. However the force of the attack was so great that it caused the silver armor to dent and collide with Ebisu's kidney. Ebisu took five steps forward and fell to his knees, gasping for air.

Naruto looked down at Ebisu and smirked.

"Who's weak?" Naruto asked.

"Certainly not you." Naruto turned and saw a man with an expensive blue kimono and white eyes with no pupils.

'_No pupils.'_ Naruto thought as everyone but him and Iva bowed down at him. Naruto and Iva looked at the knights at the floor oddly.

"Why don't you bow to me?" Hiashi asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Naruto bowed and Iva followed after. Apparently, this man had rank and Naruto would be damned if he would blow his chance to become a knight just because he didn't bow to the man.

"You may rise." Hiashi said to Naruto. He stood and looked at Hiashi with wonder. "I am impressed, you were able to take down Ebisu quickly." Naruto smiled at being praised; maybe this man would allow him to become a knight. "However, your movements and skills do not fit the qualifications to be a knight."

"W-What?" Naruto asked in shock.

"Why do you want to become a knight, young man?" Hiashi asked, ignoring Naruto's question.

"Well… because I wanted to help the kingdom and what better way to do that to become a knight." Naruto answered. Hiashi was evaluating him before he walked away.

"Follow me young ones." Hiashi said and Iva and Naruto nodded to each other and went after Hiashi. After they left, every knight looked at each other; knowing that it was close to impossible to impress Hiashi. As they walked passed many paintings, Naruto and Iva could only wonder what Hiashi wanted with them.

"You said you wish to better the kingdom, or help I suppose, but you are hiding something from me." Hiashi said as he stopped in mid-step. He turned and looked at the two in front of him.

"I-I do wish to better the kingdom. However, I do have a hidden intention I have kept from you." Naruto said and he suddenly fell to one knee and held his head low. "I wish to become the queen's personal knight so I may better protect her." He told Hiashi who showed no outward emotion.

"Why?" Was all he asked.

"Because she has helped me before and I just want to repay the favor." Naruto answered and Hiashi kept looking at him. Naruto had done it; he had put everything on the line and now it was up to Hiashi to decide his fate now.

"I see, very well then." Naruto looked up to see Hiashi was walking away.

"So…" Iva asked for Naruto and Hiashi looked at them.

"You will start today, right now in fact. She is in her room preparing for the special event later." Naruto nodded happily and was about to run when Iva grabbed his collar.

"If you may tell us where it is, we would be much obliged." Iva said. Hiashi looked into the air and then nodded his head. He led them through a maze of hallways before finally stopping to a large door. He knocked on the door and a second later, it opened and he stepped in. Naruto and Iva heard a cold voice answer his questions and then he stepped out.

"You may enter now." He said and left without another word, looking for Kakashi once again. Naruto took in a deep breath and walked into the room. He stopped cold in his tracks when he saw Hinata. She was beautiful, grown and matured from the pretty girl he once knew. However, that was not why he was frozen stiff.

"Can you close the door, I don't want people seeing me in my state of undress." Hinata said in a cold tone. Naruto however didn't respond as he saw Hinata's slim and toned body barely covered up by her underwear. In fact, the only reason she wasn't fully naked was because she had on her underwear and her left arm over her breast as her right hand tossed her bra to the side.

Iva walked in and immediately covered Naruto's eyes and closed the door. She chuckled sheepishly as Hinata continued to undress in front of Naruto and Iva. She had to get dressed for the event later and she wasn't about to stop only because her personal knight was in the room.

However, unknown to her, Naruto's mind engraved the image in front of him and would forever be locked in there.

**

* * *

Now that Naruto is Hinata's personal knight, what happens now? And she's married?!!!! How will impact Naruto as he will now protect Hinata from everything... but will he be able to protect her from himself?**

**What exactly is going on with Hanabi? Is she helping Naruto or following her own agenda?**

**Next Chapter: You've changed...**

**Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it!**


	7. Important

**Ok, yo! what's up, que la vaina y que onda?**

**I don't have a lot of time but I decided that I should take at least some time to let everyone know something...**

**Ok, first off, thanks for reading this story...**

**If it wasn't for you readers, I probably wouldn't have written most or any of my stories... or kept going, either way...**

**Second, after reading an update from an awesome story Naruto vs Sasuke: the aftermath, KingKakashi got an idea in my head...**

**So, here it goes...**

**No matter how long it takes, no matter what, I won't abandon this story or any story... The only way I'll give up is if I'm physically or mentally incapable of updating... Sadly tho, my family is doing a good job with my mental stability and the Navy is dealing with my physical side... I'm gunna die from over exhaustion soon... blah... **

**Anyway, please be patient with me, life is getting a hell of a lot hectic right now and I really don't need to be flamed/bashed about just cuz I can't get a break in life...**

**No, this isn't a sob story to get your sympathy, I really am not trying to get it... **

**Just basic info that I think you, as my reader, needs to know...**

**Hopefully you haven't given up faith with this story but if anyone has, sorry... Life sucks...**

**Still, hopefully my muse will come back soon and I can update as soon as possible...**

**Till then!**

**************Good luck with whatever and if you got a problem with me or one of my stories, please feel free to: Deal with it, Get over it or Choke on it...**  



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